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By Frank Calapre
, Correspondent
ANXIETIES in the local sports community were
raised when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced a few months
ago that the country was facing a fiscal crisis.
This meant that the government would not have
the resources to spend for major undertakings, casting doubt on the
ability of the country to host the 23rd Southeast Asian Games from
November 27 to December 5, 2005.
Sports officials had every reason to be
apprehensive, since the Philippine Olympic Committee had projected a
cost of P1 billion to stage the 11-nation sportsfest—with the
government expected to pick up most of the tab.
Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee chair,
Roberto Pagdanganan, estimated that some P209 million would be spent
for infrastructure of the venues; P379 million for operations; P183
million for the requirements of national sports associations (NSAs);
P93 million for the training of the athletes; P4 million for
security; and P30 million for supplies—or a total of P898 million.
Facing a potential national embarrassment, local
sports leaders heaved a collective sigh of relief when the lawyer
Mike Arroyo, President Arroyo’s husband, rose to the occasion and
said the country would not renege on its international commitment.
Through his private First Gentleman Foundation,
Mr. Arroyo said he would solicit the support of the private sector
to raise the funds needed for the sportsfest, while calling on all
sports stakeholders to close ranks behind the buildup to the 2005
Games.
“Our hosting will go on. It would be big shame
for the country if we will not honor our commitment,” Mr. Arroyo
said in a meeting with sports leaders.
President Arroyo had issued Executive Order 126
ordering concerned government agencies to coordinate with the POC,
led by president Celso Dayrit, who is also the Philsoc president.
Several weeks after the meeting with Mr. Arroyo
and Pagdanganan, Dayrit assured the members of the SEA Games
Federation Council the Philippines would honor its commitment in
conducting the meet.
“We are ready to host the Games,” thus
declared Dayrit during the SEAGF Council meeting on October 12 at
the New World Hotel, where the assembly approved a total of 41
sports disciplines and 388 events.
The sportsfest, which began as the Southeast
Asian Peninsular Games, is held every two years among its member
countries, which have grown to 11. East Timor is the latest addition
to the conclave.
Hosting is rotated among its members, with
Manila having the honor of staging it previously twice, in 1981 and
1991. The country was supposed to host it again in 2003, but had to
give way to Vietnam.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita also assured
sports officials the hosting of the SEA Games would not be affected
by the current fiscal problems during an inter-agency briefing at
the premier Guest House in Malacañang.
Ermita also ordered the Philippine Amusements
and Gaming Corp. and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office to
contribute an amount to the SEA Games kitty.
He also directed the Department of Public Works
and Highways to set aside at least P50 million for the
rehabilitation of the venues to be used for the Games in Metro
Manila, Cebu City and Bacolod City.
It was also announced that Subic would host
triathlon, mountain bike, cycling’s road race, lawn tennis and
other water sports.
As a show of unity, former Tarlac representative
and equestrian president, Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, was appointed
Philsoc vice chair, and he promised to help find sponsors for the
Games.
Cojuangco’s appointment was made possible
through an amendment to the Philsoc charter upon the suggestion of
Dayrit, which the Philsoc board unanimously approved.
The Philsoc is the umbrella organization created
to oversee the preparations of the 2005 Games, similar to the Manila
Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee in 1991.
“What I will do immediately to find sponsors
for the SEA Games,” said Cojuangco, who is expected to run
unopposed for POC president in November.
Pagdanganan also said that they have already
received pledges from several big multinational corporations during
the recent Philsoc meeting attended by Dayrit, Cojuangco, Philippine
Sports Commission Chair Eric Buhain, shooting head Art Macapagal and
POC Chair Robert Aventajado.
The Trace Computer Institute has also promised
to put up a new Olympic standard swimming pool, complete with
warm-up area inside the school’s premises in Los Baños, Laguna,
where the 41 events in aquatics will be held.
(To be continued)
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